Alberta’s plan to create more trails for off-road users within its parks system has been met with mixed reviews.

Minister of Tourism, Parks and Recreation Cindy Ady announced yesterday she would like to see more trails designed for off-road vehicles as part of a 10-year management plan and while off-road enthusiasts applaud the idea, others aren’t convinced.

Dianne Pachal of Sierra Club Canada said they are concerned that Albertan’s priorities were not met with the announcement. Already 60 per cent of Alberta is public land and the vast majority of that, she said, is used for motorized recreation.

“So people looking for places without it now have fewer options today. We need to protect the parks we do have now, because it’s all we have,” Pachal told Metro.

But Ady said Alberta’s population has doubled since the 1970s when most of the province’s parks were built, and off-road lovers like Roger Bordeaux agree there is a need for more recreational areas.

“We care about the environment, too, and yes, there are a few bad apples that give off-roaders a bad name, but most of us aren’t like that,” he said.